In California, 1 out of every 9 babies is born too soon and many newborns suffer serious health problems, and even die, because of their early birth. Preventing preterm birth (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) is critical to giving more babies a healthy start in life.

Early births are not just a California problem. Preterm birth is a serious health problem that costs the nation $26 billion annually. More than half a million infants are born too early in the United States each year.

The goal of a healthy pregnancy should be for mom to reach 40 weeks of pregnancy. Unfortunately, many people still think about pregnancy in terms of months. As nine months, multiplied by four weeks equals 36 weeks, it's not hard to see why both moms and doctors think scheduling a baby's delivery for the 37th or 38th week of pregnancy should be OK.

But it's not. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has long had guidelines that elective deliveries should not be done before the 39th week of pregnancy.

When this happens, there are serious health consequences. While not officially coined "premature," babies born at 37 to 39 weeks are at significantly greater risks of complications compared with babies born at 39 or 40 weeks. The last few weeks of pregnancy are critical to a baby's health because many important organs, including the brain and lungs, are not completely developed until then.

While there are times when medical reasons require a baby to be delivered early, an early elective delivery is harmful to a baby and should never be scheduled. These newborns may have to spend time in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit, develop breathing problems, need a ventilator or have trouble feeding. Too many women are unaware of the risks involved with scheduling a birth even a few weeks early. According to a study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, one-quarter of women believe that a baby born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation is full term, and 50 percent believe it is safe to deliver before 37 weeks.

A survey by the March of Dimes, Ther-Rx Corporation and Babycenter found more than two-thirds of new or expectant mothers do not know the correct definition of preterm birth and that less than half of health-care providers knew that preterm birth rates in the United States have increased in the past 10 years.

It's time to change the math. More babies need their full 39 to 40 weeks to ensure the healthiest possible start in life.

Eliminate elective early births

A toolkit, "Elimination of Non-medically Indicated (Elective) Deliveries Before 39 Weeks Gestational Age," was created by the March of Dimes, the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative and the California Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division of the California Department of Public Health.